 Lead
Based Paint
Many homes built
before 1978 have lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal
government banned lead-based paint from housing.
Lead-based
paint that is in good condition is usually not a hazard.
Peeling,
chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and
needs immediate attention.
Lead-based paint
may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can
chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear. These areas
include windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs,
railings, and banisters.
Lead dust can
form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded, or
heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub
together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces and
objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter
the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.
People
can get lead in their bodies by breathing or swallowing lead
dust, or by eating soil or paint chips with lead in them.
Some of the ways this may occur are:
put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their
mouths,
eat paint chips
or soil that contain lead;
breathe in lead dust (especially during
renovations that disturb painted surfaces)
This
information came from the pamphlet Protect Your Family From
Lead In Your Home, prepared by the EPA, dated May, 1995
If
you would like a copy of the full pamphlet, give Sharon a call
or e-mail.
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